Andrii Diachek: Blitz Chess Specialist and English Opening Devotee
Andrii Diachek, known online as AndriiDiachek, is a FIDE Master who lives for the fast and chaotic joy of Blitz chess. With more than 360 Blitz games in a single year, his account is basically a love letter to the chess clock. Where other players might pause to think, Diachek seems to pause just long enough to make the clock nervous.
Blitz Profile
Diachek's Blitz rating journey in 2026 reads like an action movie. He started the year at a modest level, then stormed upward to a peak Blitz rating of 2770 (2026-08-06) by August. His longest winning streak hit nine games in a row, and his numbers improve dramatically on Wednesdays and Sundays, when he wins around 73% to 79% of his games. If you meet him at the board on a Wednesday afternoon, bring your best defense.
Opening Repertoire
As White, Andrii is a devoted fan of the English Opening. He opened with 1.c4 more than 100 times in 2026, while 1.e4 appeared just 13 times. His favorite white weapon is the English Opening: Agincourt Defense, where he scores a strong 66.7% win rate. He also enjoys the Döry Defense, the Torre Attack, and the occasional Nimzo-Larsen experiment to keep opponents guessing.
As Black, he is remarkably hard to surprise. He handles the Barnes Defense with a 60% score, and he is especially comfortable against the Sicilian Defense, thriving in the Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation and the Alapin Variation. He even won his only recorded Bullet game using the King's Indian Attack, which suggests he can be dangerous at any speed.
Rivalries and Fighting Spirit
Diachek has built a spirited online rivalry with Bozhena Piddubna, facing him 14 times and scoring 7 wins, 3 losses, and 4 draws. Another regular opponent is Nikita Filindash, who has taken the worse end of the deal with 7 losses against Diachek. Not everyone struggles against him, though. retiver and Joaquin Fiorito both managed three wins against the FM, proving that even the sharpest Blitz players have tough days.
What makes Diachek dangerous is his resilience. His comeback rate is nearly 81%, and he still wins more than half of his games even after losing a piece. He delivers the first check in 55% of his games, and his favorite checking piece is the rook. In short, he is not the kind of player who goes quietly.
Fun Facts
- His best time of day to play is 10:00, when the coffee is strong and the blunders are weak.
- His winning games last about 85 moves on average, so he never stops fighting.
- He reached a perfect 100% win rate in his one and only Bullet game.
- His opponents resign early surprisingly often, which might mean his rooks are very convincing.